Our Withered Beauty
by MyVampireBunny
Summary: Sometimes, if you listen hard enough, you can hear the voices, once so clear, screaming at you, begging for some kind of escape. -Present Day Districts-
1. Chapter 1

_-From up here you can see the whole world...or so it seems. Everything is untouched forest and sky, a perfect sight for anybody who admires true beauty. The trees carry with them whispered stories of horror and agony. Sometimes, if you listen hard enough, you can hear the voices, once so clear, screaming at you, begging for some kind of escape. You can only sit and listen to their sorrow-filled stories with a heavy heart, because there's nothing you can do for the dead once their gone.-_

The chill of that spring morning was worse then usual. Anna stopped to watch her breath swirl around her like a ghost set free from its prison. The tiniest of smiles consumed her once blank features as the small wisp of breath danced in the wind, only to disappear after a few seconds of freedom. She inhaled deeply, loving the taste of early morning air. It was the sweetest way to awaken her senses, she thought.

Her eyes wandered around the familiar surroundings. The pasture, now crowded with horses, the farm, now with a vibrant shade of new red paint, and the flower garden, currently nursing baby buds to adulthood. Anna gave a dazzling smile to nothing in particular. "This is how things should always be. Peaceful and…"

"Anna! Anna!"

Her calm train of thought was cut off by her mother's shrill scream of panic.

"Come inside!" She screamed, waving her arms around frantically from her perch on the front porch. "Quickly! Run!"

Anna, her body now tense and running on a high she knew all to well, began to sprint towards the house. As she got closer to where her mother was standing, she could see black tears running down her doll-like face. Panic pushed Anna to move faster. If there was one thing her mother never did, it was cry.

Her breathing was heavy as she skipped the steps and landed on the porch. Her mother rushed her inside, pushing her towards the television room.

"Mom? What's…"

She was cut off by her mother's shaky voice. "Just…watch…"

"Watch what?"

She watched as her mother pointed frantically towards the television screen. Standing in front of a giant American flag was a man dressed head-to-toe in black. His face was framed by a pair of cheap sunglasses, no doubt used to make his horror-filled eyes seem softer. His lips were pulled down in what seemed like a permanent frown as he stood within range of flashing lights and screams of anger.

"What's this?" Anna asked, eyeing her mother warily. "Why did you force me in here for _this_?"

"Just watch." Her mother snapped, wiping furiously at her eyes. "You have to watch."

Anna's eyes returned to the screen, fear settling somewhere deep within her. Was something wrong with her mother? Why was she doing this?

The man's lips quivered as if he were afraid to speak. He stood weak against the adrenaline pumped journalists waiting for his chance to speak. "Fellow citizens, I am pleased to be here." Camera flashes multiplied as the words fell from his lips. "I am here to address the Hunger Games…" He was cut off by screams of anger erupting from the crowd. He kept speaking, though, knowing that this was a job he could not abandon. "From each of the twelve districts, two people, one male and one female, will be chosen at random for a chance to participate in our first Hunger Games." More screams, this time of anguish, shook the crowd. "They will fight to the death in order to determine a winner…"

Anna's mother let out a shriek of sorrow as she reached forward to shut of the television.

"Mom?" Anna asked, her voice uneven with shock. "What does this…what does this mean?"

"That good people are going to die."

**So…did you like it? It's my first spin on an actual Hunger Games fan-fic, so keep the reviews as sweet as possible…And just so you know, the Districts are all modern day!**


	2. Chapter 2

_-Here you can taste the rain and kiss the morning sun. Just the sight of this vast place can lift with wings so graceful it's like you're floating on clouds. Life here, though, is a disease so devastating that you just have to look away. You have to examine this place of beauty with the eyes of a killer to the see something other than blood.-_

Anna's mother was a kind woman, not much older than thirty. She held herself with a sense of self-respect and beauty. Her hair was a long mess of golden curls, no strands of gray to be found. She was a familiar, cheery face among locals, and a wonderful pick-up for those who didn't know her. Her strength, though, was what really impressed people. Not once did she cry over what would make others fall to pieces. She was there to assist and protect, not break down. Sandra Rosalin Mikals never, ever cried.

Anna watched the silvery tears fall from her mother's eyes, knowing that this was no joke. Some part of her mind was convinced that it was all just a scam used to scare the Districts into quickened production, but the diamonds leaving her mother's eyes convinced her otherwise. She had to, in this situation, grab a fierce hold on reality to keep it from spinning out of control. In this case she needed to be the strong one, the fearless one. Her true strength would make itself known among the mess of emotions she would soon have to help clean up.

"Mom, something has to be wrong." She whispered, shaking her head. "There's no way…"

"It's real, Anna." Her mother snapped, locking her eyes on Anna with intense anger and sorrow. "Innocent people are going to die for the sake of the governments enjoyment! No matter what they tell you, this is happening for all of the _wrong_ reasons! There is _no_ reason behind what's about to happen."

"Mom…please. Don't speak so freely against them…"

"Hah! Don't tell me what I can and can't say! You're just a child, aren't you? A child…a child who could very possibly be sentenced to death for no good reason."

Her frame began to shake as her sobs increased. Anna wanted to cry, wanted to scream out in frustration, but felt she had no time to do such things as she ran to her mother's side, arms outstretched for an embrace. She held her mother in the same way her mother had once held her. In the hold she pressed all of her love and confidence, hoping to pass them along to the once amazing woman in her arms. She hated to admit it, but her mother was losing everything.

"Mom, please…" Anna begged, letting her voice fade as her mother's sobs shook them both. There was no time to make sense of what was about to happen. Everything would play out as it was meant to from the start of time itself.

**Short chapter, I know, but at least I posted!**


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